An informal survey of seat belt usage on campus discovered a 92 percent compliance rate, earning UNMC and the clinical enterprise an award from the Nebraska Chapter of the National Safety Council.
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“When it’s the law, it really should be 100 percent,” said John Hauser, UNMC campus safety manager. “But 90 percent was the threshold for receiving the award.”
Volunteers, including members of UNMC and the clinical enterprises safety offices, were stationed at entrances to various parking lots in the morning hours on one day in July, Hauser said. The volunteers observed cars entering the lots and noted whether the driver and any passengers were wearing seat belts.
Observers also noted whether drivers were visibly “distracted,” Hauser said, through cell phone use.
“Our audit team identified a total of 61 individuals who were distracted by a cell phone while attempting to drive, out of a combined audit of 2,073 total drivers,” Hauser said.
“This was a team effort between UNMC and the clinical enterprise,” Hauser said. “Seat belt usage is an important safety measure, and we were pleased to see a high level of compliance.”